Author
Topic: RPGFan Podcast (Random Encounter) Thread

Hey, thanks for assuming Torchlight II's success is no more than a referendum on Diablo III. Some of us aren't playing Torchlight II because it isn't Diablo III; maybe they're playing Torchlight II because they liked the original Torchlight? I understand that Torchlight will always be compared to Diablo - the comparisons from TL1 to D1 and TL2 to DL2 are numerous bordering on mimicry - but I think that the podcast team (mostly Robbie) was being a little unfair. It's cool if some of you aren't interested in Torchlight II and think Diablo III is unfairly hated, but come on.

I really wasn't trying to dismiss it (John said it was hipster Diablo). I just think T2 is getting a lot of positive feedback because of the outrage over D3. I said over and over again that it could very well be a good game (I doubt the original Diablo team would screw something up that bad).

I don't mind the term hipster Diablo. Not only is it sort of accurate, it makes me want to go out, buy a 24 of PBR, and make a drinking game out of it. Drink when you level, drink when you gain Fame, drink when you kill a boss or champion, finish your can if any of those happen simultaneously. Over/under for blacking out is around 2.5 hours. Let's do this.

Look, I wrote that first post shortly after hearing the podcast and I got a little pissy because I'm a fanboy. You did admit that you thought T2 could very well be a good game, but you also nearly turned a discussion of T2 into a defense of D3 (Torchlight 2 is "the game that everybody will say is better than Diablo III regardless of whether or not it is better than Diablo III") and compared T2 fans to disenchanted True Crime apologists hating on Grand Theft Auto. You used a version of the "I'm just sayin'" defense, which everyone knows is bullshit, and two of the podcasters (I think Robbie and Stephen?) sounded more derisive than anything else.

So yeah, I'm playing the **** out of T2 because A) I'm a big fan of the first Torchlight, B) I really liked all three Diablo games, but prefer T1 to all three, and C) I like Diablo clones in general, so of course I'll enjoy a $20 one that's the sequel to my favorite Diablo clone. ****, I'll probably even try out Sacred 3, that's how much of a sucker I am.

Hey man, your criticisms are not unwelcome, so feel free to voice them. We like it when people comment on the show, good or bad!

But in all honesty, I DO think that a lot of people are going to say T2 is better than D3, regardless of either game, because hating D3 is sort of in vogue. That isn't to say I don't think there are legitimate problems or that EVERYONE is thinking that way, but I think it would be silly to say that it isn't the case at least sometimes. Like I wrote in the T2 thread, it's an objectively great game, but I personally don't get much out of it.

I'm not going to be a Diablo 3 apologist, because that game has some hugely disappointing flaws and it's unlikely that I'll really go back to it again, but I'm also not going to be nice to Torchlight 2 just because of 'x' or 'y' reasons. I'm gonna try to be fair, absolutely, but I'm not going to love it for doing something well that was done well ten years ago. I really do believe D3 is a more adventurous game that tried to do something fresh, and I enjoyed my whole time with it. The whole time I played Torch 2, I just felt like I was playing a really polished Diablo 2.5. But there's a huge segment of the gaming population that WANTED something more along the lines of D2 than what D3 was, and for them, T2 is like crack-- and I'm certainly not gonna get down on anyone for loving it.

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Friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn't matter, but work is third.

Paying $10 less for things that I know I'm going to buy? Not seeing how I'm getting screwed there. Let's say you aren't sure you want the DLC. So you don't buy the season pass. Then you only buy one of the DLCs. How did you get screwed? Or, you buy all four, because you like them. You weren't forced to buy the season pass, and you got all the DLC. Not screwed there either. I don't get it.

Maybe if this were a developer that hadn't already shown that they can consistently produce good to great DLC I'd understand that sentiment. But considering General Knoxx alone added like at least ten hours to Borderlands 1, I'd say there's nothing sinister happening here. Gearbox has earned my trust, based on what they've produced up til now, so I have no problems buying in early (and saving myself money in the process).

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Friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn't matter, but work is third.

Hey, good podcastin', fellas. I think you were a little vague in your Ragnarok Odyssey discussion, basically leaving it at "it's a Japanese action RPG with loot, like Monster Hunter" and explaining some basics. That all sounds dandy to me - I sunk 200+ hours into Monster Hunter Freedom 2+Unite and another 30-40 into Gods Eater Burst - but I have weird, specific questions that I suppose I'll ask on the RO forum topic. ...there is an RO forum topic, right?

EDIT: Okay, I couldn't find a Ragnarok Odyssey forum topic. I have some questions if it's cool.

...what is the game like? You guys mentioned multiple weapons, classes, and loot, and compared the game to Monster Hunter and Phantasy Star: Portable. But you didn't mention anything about variety of weapons, environments, and skills or what the differences between the classes are. What is the weapon variety like in RO? (i.e. how many weapon types are there and how do they feel different from one another, if at all?). Is there any kind of skill/magic system and how does it work? Are the environments big and open with large hunting targets like Monster Hunter or is it more of a dungeon/corridor grinder with a boss at the end? What are the differences between different classes? Can you use AI party members or is it solo-only if you play offline and without ad-hoc or AHParty? Thanks in advance.